Teachers Resource & Curriculum Page

Welcome Teachers! This page is to help you access Community Classroom and help bring arts, culture and heritage programming to your students.

Please note – Programming for Grades 1-4 will be delivered on site in schools. Programming for Grades 5-8 will be delivered off site. Please ensure you complete your own booking for a bus, if required.

About the Community Classroom Program:

The Oakville Community Foundation and its corporate sponsors are delighted to be offering you this FREECommunity Classroom program designed to be a curriculum based experience by grade to connect your students to their community.

This program has been developed in agreement with the Halton District School Board and Halton Catholic District School Board and agreements have been signed by the respective Directors of Education for each school board.

Given the success and interest in Community Classroom we are pleased to extend and expand the offerings to Grade 4 and Grade 8 classes for the 2018-2019 school year.

Teachers, you can help us build this program into a permanent offering by:

Participating! Please sign up your grade for a curriculum based activity

Sending the program information letters (all letters are listed beside each program) home with your students

Providing feedback

Recognizing the great work of our sponsors

Protocols – All Grades

Program letters, directions and protocols are provided for each grade below. Each Protocol document will cover:

Booking requirements

Artist booking requirements

Bus booking requirements

Coordination needs with Artists

Program limits

Timeframe for program bookings

Protocol for introductions of in-school performances

Letters to send home with students

It is our pleasure to offer free busing to activities with the support of Attridge Transportation.

Busing is available for activities funded by Community Classroom for Grades 5-8. Please find the busing information attached to the program protocol.

JK & SK

CRASH Rhythm

CRASH Rhythm

CRASH Rhythm is truly something unique. Founded by percussionist Hilary Whiskin, CRASH uses bucket drumming to engage and educate all ages and abilities in music. During an in-class session, students will experience a performance by Hilary, learn the basics of musical dynamics and note values as well take part in an interactive workshop where all questions are explored. The students will then write their own creative song using the techniques they have learned.

Pan Drummers

Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton

Members of the CCAH will provide Steel Pan Drummers, to Grades 1 and 2. These drummers will provide a live performance, a narrative and a key instruction on the instruments. The performances will also provide for dialogue and discussion on the history and art of steel pan drumming.

Meet the Basses

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

Here is your opportunity to meet the biggest instruments in the orchestra. Two bass players from the Oakville Symphony will play some duets for your students and also show them how this lovely deep-voiced instrument makes its distinctive sound.

Meet the Brass

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

Five brass musicians will entertain your Grade 1 and 2 students with music, stories about themselves and their instruments, and graphics showing just how long the tubing of the various brass instruments are when they are stretched out straight! Due to the number of musicians involved, these performances are best booked in an auditorium. If you have the space, your students will have fun learning about the most important instruments in the orchestra (well that’s what the brass musicians think!).

Led by Jenny Peace, Co-principal trumpet of the Oakville Symphony, this brass quintet has performed in schools and for the Oakville Symphony’s mini-concerts. While there are more than five brass musicians in the Oakville Symphony, this quintet has formed the core of the section for many years. Jenny is a former music teacher with the Halton District School Board and in addition to playing the trumpet, she also conducts.

Meet A Harpist

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

The harp is a unique instrument with strings and pedals. Not only that, but it comes in many sizes and has a very long history. Harpist Sharlene Wallace will bring her harp to your school to introduce your students to this lovely instrument. She will show them how it makes music as well as play some songs for them. Sharlene’s humour and talent makes this a popular performance with students.

Woodwind Quintet

Oakville Chamber Orchestra

The Oakville Chamber Orchestra woodwind quintets will be introducing grade 1 and 2 students to the following instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. Musicians will discuss how the sound of each instrument is produced and will explain the difference between a brass and a woodwind instrument. A variety of brief musical selections will be played in order to help students learn the elements of music, such as dynamics (loud vs. soft), tempo (fast vs. slow), pitch (high vs. low) and tone colour (sounds made by various instruments). Some audience participation will be included.

Grade 1 & 2

Early Years: In-School Live Performances

CRASH Rhythm

CRASH Rhythm

CRASH Rhythm is truly something unique. Founded by percussionist Hilary Whiskin, CRASH uses bucket drumming to engage and educate all ages and abilities in music. During an in-class session, students will experience a performance by Hilary, learn the basics of musical dynamics and note values as well take part in an interactive workshop where all questions are explored. The students will then write their own creative song using the techniques they have learned.

Pan Drummers

Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton

Members of the CCAH will provide Steel Pan Drummers, to Grades 1 and 2. These drummers will provide a live performance, a narrative and a key instruction on the instruments. The performances will also provide for dialogue and discussion on the history and art of steel pan drumming.

Meet the Basses

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

Here is your opportunity to meet the biggest instruments in the orchestra. Two bass players from the Oakville Symphony will play some duets for your students and also show them how this lovely deep-voiced instrument makes its distinctive sound.

Meet the Brass

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

Five brass musicians will entertain your Grade 1 and 2 students with music, stories about themselves and their instruments, and graphics showing just how long the tubing of the various brass instruments are when they are stretched out straight! Due to the number of musicians involved, these performances are best booked in an auditorium. If you have the space, your students will have fun learning about the most important instruments in the orchestra (well that’s what the brass musicians think!).

Led by Jenny Peace, Co-principal trumpet of the Oakville Symphony, this brass quintet has performed in schools and for the Oakville Symphony’s mini-concerts. While there are more than five brass musicians in the Oakville Symphony, this quintet has formed the core of the section for many years. Jenny is a former music teacher with the Halton District School Board and in addition to playing the trumpet, she also conducts.

Meet A Harpist

Oakville Symphony Orchestra

The harp is a unique instrument with strings and pedals. Not only that, but it comes in many sizes and has a very long history. Harpist Sharlene Wallace will bring her harp to your school to introduce your students to this lovely instrument. She will show them how it makes music as well as play some songs for them. Sharlene’s humour and talent makes this a popular performance with students.

Woodwind Quintet

Oakville Chamber Orchestra

The Oakville Chamber Orchestra woodwind quintets will be introducing grade 1 and 2 students to the following instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. Musicians will discuss how the sound of each instrument is produced and will explain the difference between a brass and a woodwind instrument. A variety of brief musical selections will be played in order to help students learn the elements of music, such as dynamics (loud vs. soft), tempo (fast vs. slow), pitch (high vs. low) and tone colour (sounds made by various instruments). Some audience participation will be included.

Grade 3

Early Settler Life In-Class Program

Oakville Museum

The Oakville Museum will come to your class and provide an in-class instructor. Students will examine local historical resources such as maps, photographs, letters and artifacts. Museum Exploratory Boxes containing objects and hands-on activities will actively engage students in exploring aspects of everyday life for the early settler from a local perspective. Each student will also make an early settler toy.

The program is only open to Grade 3 students. Please read all instructions prior to booking.

Grade 4

Proposal for Future Earth: Sculpture Workshop

Oakville Galleries

After looking at the work of contemporary artists, students will imagine what the world might look like 100 years from now. Will the planet be covered in plants or will pollution still be damaging ecosystems? Will animal habitats thrive or will human development still reign supreme? Students will sketch out their vision for earth’s future, then hand-build a small sculptural model of their design using mess-free Crayola model magic clay.

Computer Art: GIF Workshop

Oakville Galleries

Mini stop-motion animations, GIFs have the power to communicate feelings and ideas with humour and impact. Working in groups, students will learn to make their own GIFs, plan and create characters and sets out of plasticine, and learn how to take photos of their figures moving in small increments. They will use simple online software to animate images into GIFs of their own. Access to Wi-Fi is required for this program.

Grade 5

Indigenous Guided Walking Tour of the Moccasin Trails

Moccasin Trail Indigenous Guides

Bus Booking Code: CC5

Days Available: Tuesday-Thursday

The overall goal of the experience is to foster and support engaged families and communities and in particular increase the knowledge of all Grade 5 students on the richness of Indigenous culture and heritage in Oakville as well as provide the opportunity to hear directly from an indigenous knowledge keeper, which aligns with Ontario’s First Nation, Métis and Inuit Policy Framework and Implementation Plan.

Moccasin Trail Lions Valley – the trail is on the West side of the creek. Take Lions Valley Park Road off Dundas Street which will lead you into Lions Valley. There is a large parking lot at the bottom. The trail is south of the parking lot and along the west side of the river.

Moccasin Trail Bronte (Riverview Park) – the trail starts at Rebecca and Mississaga streets. Notice the kiosk at the corner and then follow the path from there. The parking is limited to residential streets, like Swansea Drive.

Curriculum Connection: Strand A. Heritage and Identity: First Nations and Europeans in New France and Early Canada.

Linkages to the First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework (p. 21):
Goal # 3 High Levels of Public Confidence
Strategy 3.3 Foster supportive and engaged families and communities.
Performance Measure #10 Integration of educational opportunities to significantly improve the knowledge of all students and educators in Ontario about the rich cultures and histories of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples

Teachers Resource: For copies of the plaques lining both of the Moccasin Trails, please click here.

Grade 6

Oakville Museum and The Underground Railway

Oakville Museum - Underground Railway

Bus Booking Code: CC6

Students will explore Oakville’s relationship with the United States in the context of the Underground Railroad. Oakville Harbour played a significant role in the journey to Canada for many freedom seekers. Key figures in the Oakville Underground Railroad story are introduced through the exhibition Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History, and the multimedia presentation The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom.

Grade 7

Studio Arts Programs from QEPCC gives students the opportunity to engage in hands-on creative programs in a number of Studio Arts led by an artist instructor. A variety of studio arts are available with different maximum and minimum student participant numbers for each. Curriculum Connections Include: The Arts, Drama and Visual Arts, Overall Expectation: B1 & D1. Creating and Presenting, Community Classroom provides free bussing and per student admission fees at QEPCCC Studio Arts

Clay Sculpting – Pop Culture Masks

Queen Elizabeth Park Cultural and Community Centre (QEPCCC)

Bus Booking Code: CC7

Create art works that express feelings, ideas, and issues and that demonstrate an awareness of multiple points of view.

Students will create a Pop Culture Mask based on a movie, newspaper article, stage production, commercial, etc, that can be used to explore character, movement, and expressive emotions. Students will sculpt facial expressions and add unique characteristics to their mask to design a superhero of their choosing.

Printmaking – Pop Culture Collagraph

Queen Elizabeth Park Cultural and Community Centre (QEPCCC)

Bus Booking Code: CC7

A collagraph is a print taken from a collaged plate. The word collagraph comes from the word “Kolla”, which in Greek means glue and draw. This program explores making plates using Bristol board and then inking them and printing on paper.

Woodworking

Queen Elizabeth Park Cultural and Community Centre (QEPCCC)

Bus Booking Code: CC7

Students discover how structures are built and how the purpose of structures and mechanisms influence the final design. Students will learn basic woodworking techniques. They will learn about different sculptural materials and how they can be used to build their structures.